Freethought & Rationalism Archive

Roger Pearse · 09-09-2006, 12:26 AM

There was some discussion of how we recognise that a book has been interpolated. Funnily enough I've just come across a modern book where I think that it has happened.

The book is De Lacy o'Leary's How Greek Science passed to the Arabs. I bought a copy off Amazon.co.uk which had a printing date of 2001 and turned out to have been published in India.

Most of it is in a fine early 20th century English style. But some sentences are ungrammatical, lacking verbs, or otherwise remniscent of English as it is spoken by people who don't know English. Mohammed is referred to throughout as 'the Prophet.'

The original was published by Routledge Kegan Paul, who wouldn't have allowed it to go out in its current form (that's how bad some sentences are). That's what publishers employ editors for.

I thus infer that it has been interfered with.

All the best,

Roger Pearse

Toto · 09-09-2006, 12:52 AM

Interesting. There's an online copy which you can use for comparison:

http://www.aina.org/books/hgsptta.htm

Dubbus · 09-10-2006, 08:48 AM

Quote:

There was some discussion of how we recognise that a book has been interpolated. Funnily enough I've just come across a modern book where I think that it has happened.

The book is De Lacy o'Leary's How Greek Science passed to the Arabs. I bought a copy off Amazon.co.uk which had a printing date of 2001 and turned out to have been published in India.

Most of it is in a fine early 20th century English style. But some sentences are ungrammatical, lacking verbs, or otherwise remniscent of English as it is spoken by people who don't know English. Mohammed is referred to throughout as 'the Prophet.'

The original was published by Routledge Kegan Paul, who wouldn't have allowed it to go out in its current form (that's how bad some sentences are). That's what publishers employ editors for.

I thus infer that it has been interfered with.

All the best,

Roger Pearse

Hey, you liked it, huh? Sorry I haven't got back to you about the Sabians, just more procrastination on my part...

Quote:

Interesting. There's an online copy which you can use for comparison:

http://www.aina.org/books/hgsptta.htm

Ya, that's how Roger found out about it. I sent him the link, and he liked it so much he bought it in RL (he, like myself, can't read long stuff like that online). I would advise anyone here to look at that site, especially the reports on Kurdistan and the Yezidis and Christians in Iraqi Kurdistan.

Dubbus · 09-10-2006, 08:49 AM

Oops. This is my brothers account, I was just using it to look something up...

09-11-2006, 01:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Roger Pearse

The book is De Lacy o'Leary's How Greek Science passed to the Arabs. I bought a copy off Amazon.co.uk which had a printing date of 2001 and turned out to have been published in India.

Hi Roger,

There are at least two more editions of this book in the Cambridge UL. You might like to check these too.

Best wishes

James

Roger Pearse · 09-11-2006, 06:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dubbus

Hey, you liked it, huh?

Yes. It's actually extremely good also on the spread of Islam and why the Ummayad caliphate collapsed. Frankly as a general introduction to the history of the Near East to 1000, it's the best thing that I have seen.

All the best,

Roger Pearse

Boro Nut · 09-11-2006, 10:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dubbus

Oops. This is my brothers account, I was just using it to look something up...

Oh yes. " I assure you the money was just resting there while I sorted out the paperwork officer". A likely story.

Boro Nut

09-09-2006, 12:26 AM	#1
Roger Pearse Veteran Member Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: N/A Posts: 4,370	Interpolations in modern books There was some discussion of how we recognise that a book has been interpolated. Funnily enough I've just come across a modern book where I think that it has happened. The book is De Lacy o'Leary's How Greek Science passed to the Arabs. I bought a copy off Amazon.co.uk which had a printing date of 2001 and turned out to have been published in India. Most of it is in a fine early 20th century English style. But some sentences are ungrammatical, lacking verbs, or otherwise remniscent of English as it is spoken by people who don't know English. Mohammed is referred to throughout as 'the Prophet.' The original was published by Routledge Kegan Paul, who wouldn't have allowed it to go out in its current form (that's how bad some sentences are). That's what publishers employ editors for. I thus infer that it has been interfered with. All the best, Roger Pearse

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09-09-2006, 12:52 AM	#2
Toto Contributor Join Date: Jun 2000 Location: Los Angeles area Posts: 40,549	Interesting. There's an online copy which you can use for comparison: http://www.aina.org/books/hgsptta.htm

09-10-2006, 08:49 AM	#4
Dubbus Junior Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Florida Posts: 13	Oops. This is my brothers account, I was just using it to look something up...

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